Like Gravity(26)

We stared at each other for several long seconds, my eyes moving unchecked between his dark gaze and the full lips nearly touching my forehead. I felt my breaths quicken and recognized the telltale desire pooling in my stomach.

Shit. The tequila was wreaking havoc on my self-control.

Finn’s eyes widened infinitesimally as he looked down at me, seemingly as affected by our closeness as I was. He angled his head toward mine, moving further into my space as he brought our lips dangerously close together.

“We shouldn’t do this,” I whispered against his mouth, knowing it was far too late to stop whatever was about to happen between us. Worse, knowing that I didn't want to stop it.

“Shh,” he breathed, his lips grazing mine as his hands moved up to tangle in the loose curls at the base of my neck. Just as our lips finally brushed with a gentleness I hadn’t thought Finn capable of, the bathroom door banged open, slamming against the wall with a smack loud enough to shatter the almost-moment we’d just experienced. We quickly sprang apart as three girls stumbled in through the doorway.

“Ohmigod! You’re Finn! Ohmigod!” The blondest of the three began bouncing up and down in excitement, her surgically-inflated cleavage nearly spilling out of her top as she completely dismissed my presence and honed in on the lead singer of her fantasies.

I avoided looking in his direction, cursing myself for what I’d almost allowed to happen. I assured myself it was only because I’d been drunk, only because my guard had been down after the shittiest day of my year. It wouldn’t happen again. Ever.

I squeezed around the trio of fans, nearly running in my haste to get out of the bathroom and away from his presence.

“This isn’t over, Brooklyn,” I heard him call after me as I fled.

***

“Remind me never to listen to you again,” I said, sliding back into my seat across from Lexi. “And to kick your ass.”

“What did I do this time?” Lexi grinned impishly, sliding my Long Island iced tea across the table. I took a fortifying gulp, hoping it might erase what had just happened in the bathroom.

“Remember how you assured me that Finn had absolutely no interest in me whatsoever?”

“Maybe?” Lexi’s eyes widened in anticipation; whatever she’d been expecting me to say, it wasn’t this.

“Well, he just cornered me in the bathroom. And tried to stick his tongue down my throat.”

“And you didn’t let him?”

“Lexi! Jesus. I don’t even like him.”

“Who cares? He’s gorgeous.” She said, looking at me like I was crazy. “And since when do you care about liking the boys you sleep with? We both know you don’t do relationships. Neither does Finn. The way I see it, this could be absolutely perfect.”

“It’ll get complicated. It always gets complicated.”

“Sweetie,” Lexi sighed. “Finn doesn’t commit. He’s a serial dater – if you can even call what he does dating. You’re clearly into each other and you’re both attractive, so just screw and get it over with. Then you can walk away, like you always do. A clean break.”

Lexi made it sound so simple, so easy. At that moment, I wanted to cave in. After the scene that had just played out between me and Finn in the bathroom, I doubted I would be able to resist again. The truth was, I wanted him. I’d wanted him since the first time I’d laid eyes on him.

Sex with no strings had never been a problem for me before. I’d never let emotions get in the way with any of my relationships; as soon as I felt that things were getting too intense, I’d broken them off. Maybe it wouldn’t be any different with Finn – I’d just have to be more careful than usual. He had a way of getting under my skin like no one else. He saw things in me no one else seemed to.

I’d have to hold him at arms length. I might consider sleeping with him, but I’d certainly never consider trusting him.

“I don’t think so, Lex,” I said, my voice unconvincing even to my own ears.

“Mhmm,” Lexi hummed placatingly, not believing a word of my protests.

I chose to ignore her, turning back to the stage to watch the band members prepare for their second set. Finn looked completely normal, laughing at something Tyler was saying and clearly unaffected by our interaction in the bathroom. It was silly to have thought I’d ever mean anything to a boy like that. I was just another piece of ass to him -- only, unlike his groupies, I offered a challenge because I didn’t spread my legs on command. He was interested in the chase, nothing more. For some reason that realization struck me like a heavy blow to the chest.

Ignoring the pang, I took another sip of my drink and refocused on Lexi, who was, as usual, blabbering about Tyler’s many virtues.

“And the drummer really is the one who holds the whole group together, you know? I mean, without Ty, they’d be nowhere. So—”

Lexi broke off mid-sentence, her eyes wide as she caught sight of something behind me. Before I could turn around, I was lifted from my stool and dragged back against an unfamiliar chest. Two beefy arms encircled my waist, holding me so tightly that even attempting to fight was useless.

Not that it stopped me from trying like hell to escape. My stilettos propelled wildly in the air, trying to make contact with a shin or, ideally, the body part several feet higher and infinitely more precious to my attacker.